Lightning strikes twice

After his howler gifted Newport County three points at the Ricoh Arena last weekend, the 25-year-old seemed to be at fault again on Saturday, as Yeovil took the lead through Rhys Browne in the first half.

The Glovers played a long ball deep into Sky Blue territory which looked as if it would be comfortably cleared by Chris Stokes, but O'Brien made the decision to come off his line and intervene, causing a mix-up with his defender and leaving Browne to roll the ball into an empty net.

Following the game in Somerset, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins said O'Brien should have stayed on his line, and the keeper's decision-making was poor in that instance.

Two costly mistakes in back-to-back games by O'Brien may see Mark Robins recall Lee Burge for the Checkatrade Trophy clash with Shrewsbury Town tomorrow night.

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Momentum has stalled

Consecutive league defeats to Newport County and Yeovil Town respectively, have knocked the Sky Blues off top spot and down into 10th place.

Optimism surrounding City was high after the opening two victories over Notts County and Grimsby Town, with one supporter joking on Twitter that he would donate his liver to science after the promotion run this season.

And with no top-six finish in over 47 years, the Sky Blue Army were right to enjoy the moment and celebrate the 100% start.

But while the wheels haven't exactly fallen off, these last two performances have reminded the players, management and fans alike, that promotion from League Two will be far from easy.

O'Brien's mistakes have been preventable, and had they not happened, we may be sat here in a very different position.

But City have now failed to score in over 180 minutes of league football, and that lack of cutting edge from last season looks to be creeping its way back into the minds of the strikers, albeit some of them were at different clubs 12 months ago.

Promotion-winning teams go through disappointing spells through the course of the season, but City's next league game is away at Chesterfield on Saturday and it's vital they arrest their current decline at the Proact Stadium.

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City need a plan B

The Sky Blues started the season in fine form, finding the net five times in the opening two league games and keeping consecutive clean sheets in the process.

But Robins's men have failed to score in consecutive games and the attack is currently missing a clinical edge in front of goal.

Jodi Jones is still the club's top goalscorer after his impressive hat-trick on the opening day against Notts County, and the talented teenager remains the Sky Blues' biggest threat.

The 19-year-old almost handed City the perfect start at Huish Park on Saturday when he skipped away from Bevis Mugabi with ease, and forced Artur Krysiak into a smart save after just 30 seconds.

And Jones beat Mugabi for speed more than once in the first-half, but Yeovil soon got to grips with his play and doubled up on the winger for the rest of the game.

More and more teams are likely to take that approach with Jones as the campaign wears on, and the onus is on City's other forward thinking players, to provide an alternative spark and unlock the opposition's door.

Coventry City's look dejected at the end of the game as they applaud their travelling support

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Defensive cover not an issue

Rod McDonald missed the trip to Yeovil because of injury, leaving the door open for Dominic Hyam to take his place at the heart of the defence.

Willis and McDonald have been a sign of strength in City's team so far this season and both players let their physicality do the talking and adopt a no-nonsense style of defending, so it was interesting to see how Hyam would cope in McDonald's absence.

But the young defender slotted in alongside Willis comfortably and was one of the best players on the Sky Blues' team.

Hard to believe considering City conceded twice, and lost the game as a result, but Hyam showed a real composure at the back and read the game well.

He's not as athletic as Willis, but he is quick to clear the danger ahead of him and handled a tricky customer in Southampton loanee Olefula Olomola relatively well.

Hyam also appears to have sound leadership qualities and was seen rallying his teammates on several occasions in the second half.

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Quick turnaround

Fortunately for Robins and his men, they have a quick turnaround from their defeat in Somerset and have the opportunity to make amends on Tuesday night.

The Sky Blues begin their defence of the Checkatrade Trophy against Shrewsbury Town at the Ricoh Arena, and the fixture provides City some respite from their league campaign.

Shrewsbury are currently a division above City and Robins will be keen to replicate last season's success in the tournament - with a potential return to Wembley up for grabs - just 12 months after Jordan Willis lifted the trophy in front of 43,000 supporters at the same venue.

Because of that, the City boss is unlikely to make too many changes from the side that started at Huish Park, but the tie will allow the players to regroup and refresh their focus in a different competition, and forget about their league form temporarily.